Halogen work lights are widely used in a variety of settings such as construction sites, industrial plants, automotive and auto body repair shops, artist studios, photographic studios, and for home improvement projects. Compared to conventional light bulbs, halogen bulbs have a comparatively high operating temperature which tends to limit the bulb life. Halogen bulbs often burn out while in use on the job or during a project. When a bulb fails, it interrupts the project or job being performed. Usually the interruption stops the job or project until it can be replaced and work can continue. Thus, having a spare bulb in close proximity to the project is very desirable.
In the past, a major disadvantage of using halogen work lights has been the lack of an easily accessible spare halogen bulb. Most often, a burned out bulb requires a trip to the hardware store to find a replacement. Spare bulbs have been stored in vehicles, tool boxes, and other similar places, but these storage locations are often not readily available or accessible. Also, since these storage locations are not specifically tailored to store glass bulbs with delicate filaments inside, damage to the bulb may have taken place by the time the need arises for its use.
At least three configurations of spare bulb housings are known in the prior art. The first configuration stores the halogen bulb in the work light stand or supporting structure. For example, a spare bulb storage housing may be incorporated into a handle of the work light wherein the bulb in stored inside the handle and runs along the length of the handle. The second configuration is a work light with a spare bulb housing that is attached externally to the support. The third configuration has a tubular spare bulb housing that is attached to a crossbar on which a series of work lights are mounted.
All of the preceding spare bulb housing configurations position the spare bulb housing on the exterior of the light itself. Thus, the spare bulb housing being part of the light's exterior, and consequently the spare bulb itself, are prone to jostling, banging, and general abuse during transportation and use of the light in the field.
Further, some of the prior art designs have a spare bulb housing that protrudes from the frame, making the work light unwieldy or making the frame easy to catch on electrical wires or the surrounding environment. Lastly, the location of the spare bulb housing is sometimes inconveniently located for easy access the user.
Therefore, what is needed is a spare bulb holder that is conveniently accessible and is integrated within the work light to prevent the spare bulb from being easily damaged during use and transport. The present invention is designed to fulfill this and other needs.